Food festival ready to serve seafront crowds as it returns for bank holiday weekend

The Proper Food and Drink Festival will be hosted in South Shields in May.

Plans are cooking to bring a food and drink festival back to a seafront park.

Bents Park in South Shields will host two free events to showcase producers, street food and tipples.

The Proper Food and Drink Festival will make a return to the grounds over the late Bank Holiday weekend in May, and the third Great North Feast will take place in August on the last Bank Holiday weekend of the year.

Baked good on sale at a previous visit by the Proper Food and Drink Festival at Bents Park.

Proper Food and Drink Festivals were started by Mark and Shelley Deakin in 2012.

Mark said: "When you come to a festival you want fantastic food you can eat there and then, or buy to try when you get home.

“These are very important events for local producers as they provide a real opportunity for them to get face-to-face feedback from their customers – and as a result they really pull out the stops.”

Over the years many producers have used the festivals as a stepping stone to bridge the gap from being talented amateurs to full-time cooks, bakers or brewers.

Stall holders will offer their goods at the event when it makes its return to South Shields in May.

“It’s fantastic to see how they’ve progressed,” said Shelley.

“Some have opened their own restaurants while the festivals have helped others to realise just how good they are.”

As well as the producers’ market, street food trucks and bars, there will also be an area devoted to crafts as well as plenty of activities for children.

The Proper Food and Drink Festival visits Bents Park Saturday, May 25, to Monday, May 27.

Sweet treats will be on sale during the event.

This summer the event is also being held in North Shields from Saturday, May 4 to Monday, May 6, Whitley Bay on the weekend of 15 and 16 June and Gosforth on the weekend of July 13 and 14.

The Great North Feast takes place on the Bank Holiday of 25, 26 and 27 August.

More details will be announced soon.

For more information about the Proper Food and Drink Festivals visit www.properfoodanddrinkfestivals.co.uk/